Shadows of the Night
by Dark and Twisted Contest
Summary: "No, Edward, you don't understand. They made 'The Blood Vow'." I looked at her in confusion "What's 'The blood vow?" Having lost everything, Edward Cullen moves into his ancestor's house, which has now been passed on to him after his grandmother's death, to start a new life. According to the townsfolk, the house is haunted. Could they be right? Is everything as it seems?"


**Contest entry for the **_**'A Journey into the Dark & Twisted' Contest**_

_**Title**__: Shadows of the Night_

_**Prompts used: **__Group B- pic #4, Group__D- pic #7, Group H- pic #2_

_**Pairing: **__Edward and Bella_

_**Rating: **__M_

_**Word Count:**__ 13,__348_

_**Summary:**__"No, Edward, you don't understand. They made 'The Blood Vow'."_

_I looked at her in confusion "What's 'The blood vow'?"_

_Having lost everything, Edward Cullen moves into his ancestor's house, which has now been passed on to him after his grandmother's death, to start a new life. According to the townsfolk, the house is haunted. Could they be right? Is everything as it seems?"_

_**Disclaimer: **__The following is a work of fanfiction using characters from the Twilight world, which is trademarked by Stephenie Meyer. I do not claim ownership of said characters. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Shadows of the Night**

The town car kept moving at a slow to average pace as it drove along the hillside. Heavy clouds hung in the air, making the air thick to breathe. The car made it to a dirt road near the lake just in time for the moon to set behind the trees of the enormous forest that covered the entire area on either side of the road. We kept moving until we reached the old rickety bridge.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we cannot cross this bridge in the car, and frankly, I didn't want to come this close to the town" the cab driver said.

He had been very reluctant to give me the lift, and not just him but it seemed that the entire town was reluctant to come to this side of Forks. I had to agree to pay him extra to even consider giving me a lift. It was hilarious, really; the entire town was convinced the western part of the town and forest was haunted.

Well, haunted or not I had to get there, by vehicle or by foot, either way, it didn't matter at this point.

"I understand," I said. After paying him for the ride, I got out with my luggage– just one bag, a suitcase, and my guitar.

"Thanks for the lift."

"It's alright, sir, but please be careful, " he said, giving me a sympathetic look before heading back the way we had come, shaking his head anxiously and jumping at the sound of small twigs breaking under the tires.

I stood there looking at the car's tail lights until they vanished from sight.

I sighed and turned towards the bridge. It looked like a scene directly taken from a horror movie; dark, eerie, and unnaturally silent. I started climbing the bridge, the sound of my footsteps being the only noise that could be heard. Even the slight wind blowing was unnaturally quiet, and it seemed as though the forest was watching me intrude its space with uncanny interest. A chill went down my spine.

I shook the thought away and kept on moving. I had only just crossed the bridge when I saw from my periphery something move in the water. I turned towards the spot expecting ripples but found nothing but still-dark water.

Blowing out a breath I muttered, "spooky…" to fill the quiet with some sound. Shaking my head, I started again.

The path seemed endless but according to the papers the house was at the end of this road. Some road, I thought. It was more of a dirt path than a road that seemed to be going on and on. At least it was wide enough to be called a road. The forest made walls on either sides of it, creating a canopy of dark leaves and branches obscuring the sky.

Every step I took towards the house made me want to take three steps back. I didn't want to come here. It had always been the last option, a convenience of sorts if things went wrong–at least that was what my grandmother had told me. She'd said it was a security blanket if I couldn't make it in the music world. But somehow my grandma had forgotten to mention the fact that the mansion she had given me was a lost cause because no one wanted to buy it-hell, even the damn real-estate agents recoiled at the thought of having to sell the old estate considering the whole town declared it haunted.

Well, except for the housekeeper. That was the only positive thing I had found in this situation.

Living here had always been out of the question for me, but now it seemed to be the only option because I was broke. I had lost all the albums that were going to be signed, or rather _never _going to be signed. It was just an illusion they had created to placate me. All my songs were now _his_! I still couldn't believe how I had been cheated on. My so-called best friend had sold me out to the big sharks in L.A. and gained all the name and recognition that should have been mine!

That fucker took everything from me, and I was too stupid and too trusting to think he would back-stab me.

_Just like my father had said._

Just thinking about my father, made me grind my teeth.

"_You are being too stupid and immature to throw away this opportunity, Edward! Grow up and take the scholarship provided by the med school. You don't want to throw it all away to become some pop star. "_

"_A__** musician **__dad... A musician! Music has always been love, my passion! You know that! "_

"_So play your music! No one is asking you not to, but it's not a career path– you take if you want a secured life! That is all I want for you, to have a proper and dignified life"_

"_That's what__** you **__want, dad, not me! I want to create music, not cut open people!"_

"_You'll get screwed over, Edward, trust me! And then you will come back to me with nothing but disappointment."_

"_Screw you, dad!"_

Yeah, nothing would have made my dad more smug than me going back to him to beg for his forgiveness and asking him for help.

No, I was not going to do any of that.

My mom had been the most supportive in all this mess. She'd always been there for me no matter what. She had been the one to suggest I needed a break, to find a new perspective, maybe find a new muse. But she had also been persistent in wanting me to come home and mend fences with my father.

No such thing was happening anytime soon.

So now, here I was, going to start a new life, a new beginning at a dead end…

Yeah, the irony was not lost on me.

* * *

The more I kept moving forward, the more the road started to clear from the dirt, leaves, and fallen branches. It must have been the housekeeper.

According to my grandmother, the mansion had been in the family for ages and had always been looked after the by the Swan family that had lived in the grounds of the house. As the property kept being passed down the generations, so did the housekeeping responsibilities of the Swan hold.

I found this very hard to swallow. It seemed very odd. Grandma had said I didn't have to pay for the old maid who was taking care of the house now. She had said the Swans took care of the house because they thought they were obligated and grateful to the Masens for providing them a place to live on the grounds. It had been followed through generations.

Well, I was not going to let someone work for me and not get paid for the job. It was my home now and my rules would be followed.

At least I didn't have to worry about finding the house dirty and without any furniture and food. _Food_, thank God, I would not go hungry here as the housekeeper had informed me that it would be cooked and provided in a timely manner. I had been surprised when I had received the details by e-mail. Mom had probably let her know I was coming to live there.

I also needed to find a job in this glum town if I was going to pay for the housekeeping.

Suddenly the road opened up into a huge clearing of dead grass and dried leaves. The trees looked barren and dead and do did the house in sight a few yards away. No wonder the people thought this place was haunted, I thought, shaking my head.

It was three storeys tall not including the basement and attic. It looked like it could fall down any time now. But I knew the build was pretty sturdy. A few of the glasses in the huge window panes seemed to be broken– more work for me– I sighed internally. It looked sort of creepy with the moonlight shining on it, making it glow like silver.

The living room light seemed to be on; I could see a reflection of someone standing near the window. That must be the housekeeper. There were about two dozen wooden stairs leading towards the front door. They started to creak as soon as I put my foot on them.

As soon as I reached the top stair the huge door swung open, and there stood a beautiful petite woman with mahogany hair flowing down her shoulders, which were covered in a black silk wrap dress that reached just above her knees. She was wearing high heels, also in black, which made her shapely legs look miles long. When I could finally pull my eyes away from her sexy body and towards her- just as beautiful face I was met with big brown mesmerizing eyes that looked like they were holding a lot of secrets. She had put on some Smoky-eyed makeup making her eyes pop-up and look bigger. She had some kind of black rings in her ears and when my eyes reached her lips, expecting them to be black as well–which seemed to be a theme for her–I was surprised to find they were blood red.

I watched those bows turn into a smirk, and then they moved. "You must be Edward Cullen. I am Isabella Swan. Pleasure to meet you." She stuck her hand out towards me.

I looked at her, stunned, for a few seconds. "You..._You _are the housekeeper?"

"Why, yes, Mr. Cullen, I am."

"Edward." I Put my hand into hers and shook it.

Wow, and here I was expecting some old, fifty-something grandma type person. What was she doing here? She was beautiful, young, with an obsession with the color black it seemed. Couldn't she find a decent job that pays? Or do these Swans take the caretaking job that seriously?

"Well, Edward," she said with a smile. "Come on in. I have been waiting for you all evening." She motioned me towards the living room. "I hope you didn't have any problem getting here."

"No. It was fine. Well, except for the travelling agency canceling on me at the last moment and not finding a decent cab wanting to give me a lift towards this part of town."

"Oh, yes... I am really sorry about that, Mr. Cullen; I should have come to get you myself. I should have thought about the rumors. I am really sorry; I hope you didn't find any trouble getting here–" She would have kept on blabbering if I had not stopped her, her cheeks turning scarlet, it was kind of endearing.

"Isabella...Bella, stop. It's absolutely fine. I reached here just fine. I persuaded a cabbie to give me a lift here by giving him some extra cash. You don't have to berate yourself; it's not your fault so please don't apologize. And please, it's Edward and not Mr. Cullen, okay."

"Okay." She replied with a beautiful smile. God, it was making me want to kiss her. Shit, I should not be thinking like this. She is my housekeeper; she'll probably think I'm some kind of pervert, I thought.

Shaking that thought away and looking around the house I asked her, "This looks a lot better from the inside than the out. How long has the house been in your care?"

The hall was pretty big and spacious with age old furniture decorated in style that screamed old. There was a huge fireplace in the middle with an intricate mantle and old pictures hanging above, probably my great-great-great-grandparents and their children and their children–there seemed to be about twenty black and white photos here. The huge rug placed below seemed thick and well used. There were a few tapestries hung on the walls as well, the design on them seemed pretty intricate. Must have been imported here back then, I thought. These kinds of designs were not made in the US, I was sure of it.

"Just over a year," she replied. "My mother was in charge for about forty years before that."

"Where is she? And how exactly does this work, because, Bella… can I call you that? Isabella seems a bit too formal." When she nodded I continued, "I don't want you to be working for me for free. It might have been okay back then but now I am in charge and I don't encourage slave labor."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "But that's how it's been working for ages Edward, and it's never been forced, trust me. My ancestors have always been close to your family and we feel grateful to them for providing us this place to stay."

"Oh my god, Bella, that was like...Um…I don't know… what, three? Four centuries ago?"

"Three."

"Right, _three centuries_ ago. That's three _hundred_ years! Your people might have been obligated to my family back then, but now it's the twenty-first century and it's been too goddamn long since then. You have _nothing _to be grateful to me; I have _not_ done anything for you, and even if I _had,_ I would never ask you to work for me in exchange. My mother didn't raise me up like that."

"I understand, Edward, but _you_ need to understand this: when my family came to this land, they were in grave danger and your family let us stay here. You see, there was a huge war happening at that time and we were from the enemy land, but your family didn't turn us to the authorities but instead helped us and gave us shelter. If not for your family, none of us would have survived, Edward. I would not be standing in front of you right now."

I just stood, stunned. She, her family, all of them took this very seriously. But I was not going to let her work for me like I owned her!

"Bella…" I tried to speak to her in a calm soothing voice."I know you think this is important, but, sweetheart, I cannot let you work for me without getting paid. It goes against my values, I just can't do that. And really, you don't know how glad I am that my ancestors helped yours, but why don't we just keep this to our ancestors, and go forward from here."

She started shaking her head. "No, Edward, you don't understand. They made 'The Blood Vow'."

I looked at her in confusion."What's 'The Blood Vow'?"

"It's a binding made by exchanging blood, and it should never be broken or the consequences will be grave," she said in a grave voice, like she was actually witnessing the binding right now.

"Bella, don't tell me you believe in such bullshit."

"It's not bullshit, Edward; I have seen the consequences of breaking such a vow," she said in a furious voice. When I looked at her warily she seemed to back-paddle.

"I-I mean not 'see', but I've heard some gruesome things."

"What exactly are these consequences?" I asked.

"It depends upon the type of promise and its prerequisites and what you're ready to sacrifice to gain something."

"And what exactly was this promise and exchange in relation to our families?"

She took a deep breath and replied, "My family, we were injured and were in need of help real bad. My sister was..."

"_My sister_… you speak like you were there…." I asked her suspiciously.

"It's just that I've heard this story so many times, I tend to get into it sometimes, I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

When I smiled she continued "So, my great-great-great-grandmother's sister was terribly injured and they couldn't get away from the area fast enough and stumbled upon this place and hid in the cottage behind the mansion but were soon discovered by the valet and were brought in front of your great-great-great grandfather," she giggled.

I found I really loved that sound.

"Sorry, it's just kind of funny saying it so many times."

I chuckled. "Yes, three centuries, three hundred years, three 'great's' and it's the third time you've said sorry for nothing. Three just seems to be our lucky number here." We laughed together.

"Why don't we sit down and then you can continue your story. I _have _been travelling the whole day and I'm feeling really tired," I said while stretching my hands above my head. I heard a gasp. I turned towards her and found her looking at my stomach which was now exposed. I chuckled softly bringing my hands down, she looked at me blushing. I smirked. Well, it was good to know I was not the only one getting affected.

"I'm sorry. Please have a seat. It's your house you know, you can do anything you want." She said, flushing again. Was there double meaning in what she said?

No, it's just wishful thinking on my part. Shaking my head slightly I motioned for her to join me on the couch.

"Um..." she hesitated. "Why don't you freshen up? I've cleaned your room; it's on the right side of the second floor landing. The room next to it is clean, too, if you want to use it as an office or a guest room. The office is actually on the first floor but it's really dusty and…"

"Bella…"

"… needs more cleaning, but if you need to use it I could cle–" she kept on going without taking a breath.

"BELLA." She stopped and looked at me.

"Relax, Breathe." She took a deep breath.

"Good. Now, it's absolutely fine, I don't need to use the office for anything, and thank you for cleaning the rooms but it was unnecessary…" she seem to want to interrupt but I stopped her by raising my hand in a stop sign and continued "… to clean two of them. If I want to use other rooms I'll clean them myself or you can help me clean them if you want to but you won't be doing any cleaning without getting paid."

"You won't be saying this once you know the whole story." she warned me.

"Okay." I said smiling at her "I think I will take a shower and then we can continue this."

"Take your time." She said, smiling.

The floorboards of the stairs were covered in thick rugs and muffled the sound of my footsteps which is why I paused when I heard creaking on the second floor. When I stopped the creaking stopped as well.

"Hm…these floor boards must be loose." I muttered to myself.

When I reached the landing I felt a cold breeze blow through the hallway. It was really freezing out here. There must be some problem with the heating unit I thought. I should probably speak to Bella about this.

Once I reached my room, I threw my jacket on the armchair and my luggage nearby. The room was old-fashioned just like the rest of the house. There was a huge four poster bed in the middle with red drapes and sheets. Dark wood dresser which matched the bed was on the right with some old fashioned cupboards and an inviting red couch, a writing table and a red cushioned dark wood arm chair. Actually red and black seemed to be the theme of the room. It was slightly gothic looking but comfortable nonetheless. It looked ironically welcoming.

The bathroom was completely opposite to the house, it was more modern looking, spacious and completely white. I liked it. This was good.

The hot water felt divine after the day I had had. The hot water was another plus. Looking at the mansion from the outside I would never have imagined it to be equipped this well. But the heating system was still a problem, I mused. Well there had to be some flaw right? Then I also remembered the broken windows.

"Oh well, I'll just have to ask Bella more about it." I sighed.

After getting dressed I came downstairs looking for Bella. I heard noises coming from the dining room, so I followed them.

Bella was arranging the plates on the huge dark wood long table that seated about ten people which stood in the middle of the room. Candle lights were glowing in each corner of the room and two were placed in the middle of the table. The place was glowing and warm. It looked really inviting. At last I looked at the feast that was spread on the table.

"Wow." It was all I could I say.

"Thank you." She replied, pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear shyly.

"Are we expecting guests?" I asked.

"No."

"Then why do you have so much food laid out here? It smells amazing by the way." She smiled and blushed a delicate pink. Wow, she looked so beautiful.

"It's for you of course." She replied.

"Bella, I confess I'm starving but sweetheart, even I can't eat this much. We could actually feed a small army with the food you have prepared."

She rolled her eyes."I didn't know what you would like and I like to cook, so I thought I'd prepare different dishes for you that could be stored in the freezer for the next couple of days. Your mom mentioned you couldn't cook to save your life, so I thought this would be good when I'm not available. Masen men suck at cooking anyway." She muttered the last sentence quietly.

"You spoke to my mom?"I asked.

"Not exactly, she emailed me that you would be staying here and she mentioned a few things about you that would make your stay comfortable here." She replied.

"What did you mean by _that, all Masen men suck at cooking_? I'll have you know that I make terrific omelets, a killer sandwich and the black coffee to die for…," she started laughing, "and by the way, Masen is my mother's maiden name. My grandmother had taken her family name as her surname, so had my mother. Until she got married to my dad." I tease her.

"I am sure you can Mr._ Cullen, _please forgive me." She smirked "I know about the men in your family because of my grandmother's journal. Why don't you have a seat?" she said motioning me towards the chair at the head.

I ignored her and instead pulled a chair out, "Ladies first." I said.

Taking the seat she replied with a quiet "thank you" tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling slightly. It made me want to pull her to me and kiss those crimson lips. Reluctantly I moved away and took the seat opposite to her.

"Mmmm… Bella, this is absolutely delicious." I moaned taking the ravioli in my mouth.

She giggled. God, that sound did crazy things to my body.

"I'm glad you are enjoying it."

"Oh, I'm definitely enjoying this– excellent food, amazing ambience and an absolutely gorgeous woman for company. What else could I ask for?"

Blushing brightly she replied, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Cullen." She giggled.

"If it gets me delicacies like these and your company then it's all fair." I laughed.

"So, tell me more about yourself Bella." I asked after a few moments of comfortable silence except for the sounds of cutlery and my moans. Her cooking was _that_ good.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything. Where do you live? What you do in your free time? What did you study? Have you always been here?"

"That's an awful lot of questions, Edward." She laughed.

"Hm...You are right; I should have probably asked you all those one by one right? That's not how a date takes place is it?" I smiled.

She laughed– a full delightful laugh."This is not a date, Edward." She replied, still chuckling.

"Well, this certainly looks like one." I said still smiling. "I mean look around us, the dim lighting, candles, dinner, a couple sitting across each other–smiling. This in my book is definitely a date."

"Whatever you say, Edward." She says flippantly.

"See, I knew you definitely had some ulterior motive." I teased her.

She gasped audibly. "I did not!" she threw a few blackberries at me. I laughed and threw a few strawberries at her. We laughed together, throwing some more berries at each other. I don't know when or how exactly it happened but she was pinned to the carpet below me laughing and begging me to stop ticking her relentlessly. Then suddenly the air around us changed, our breathing grew heavy and the next second found us in each other's embrace kissing like our lives depended on it. I couldn't stop touching her, she was so soft and _God_ the noises she was making!

Panting, I could only get one word out. "Bed?"

When she nodded I pulled her in my arms and climbed the stairs two at a time. On reaching the room I didn't stop until I had her on my bed. Even then she didn't let go of me instead clutching me towards her and holding onto me tightly with her arms around my neck she devoured my mouth. Her lips tasted like fresh cream and strawberries –so sweet and warm, like liquid silk.

Hungry kissing and groping let to tearing of clothes and increased desire, it was like nothing I had ever felt before, it was more, it was crazy and I wanted to consume her, take her, own her – make her mine!

I had never felt this possessive before in my life. I didn't know how she could bring this out in me. Her touch did amazing things to me and in return I made her scream my name loudly.

Then when we were joined it felt different, beyond anything I had ever imagined. I couldn't get enough of her, it was too much. So good, so intense and so incredibly powerful.

I don't think I could stop this even if I wanted to. It felt like forever and then I was falling and she was falling with me, and I think I saw sparks–literally. But I can't be sure.

* * *

The next morning the sun seemed to shine too brightly. I couldn't keep my eyes open for long due to the sunshine. I turned my head to see the reason for the smile I had on my face, only to find the other side of the bed empty and cold. Looking around I found her clothes missing too.

"Shit." I pulled back the covers put on my boxers and left the room to look for her.

"Bella?" I called as I ran down the stairs. The house was too big and empty without her in it. It seemed eerily quiet and sort of foggy, may be the light and air around this place was a little dense.

"Bella…...BELLA?" I searched every room when I reached the floor, the living room, the kitchen, the sitting room, the dining room–I stopped there for a while remembering. But there was nothing here that implied last night happened. The room was too bright with the sun shining down the open windows, the table clean and clear of all the utensils and no sign of candles or even their smell.

Did I dream last night?

No, that's not true. She was here and last night did happen. She must have regretted what happened between us last night and then she must have cleaned up everything before leaving – her damn opinions about being obligated to me.

What was I thinking? God i was so stupid.

_Damn Edward, you had to go seduce your own housekeeper didn't you?_

Mom was going to kill me!

"Shit, I have to talk to Bella."

After taking a quick shower and some breakfast –I found the freezer full of last night's leftovers –_proof that last night did happen– _and full of other stuff too. My mom must have paid for of all this. At least I hoped so, because if not I was going to pay her back for everything.

I got out of the house and searched the grounds for that cottage I knew was here somewhere. The strip of land around the house was barren and dead but the trees seemed to grow out again after a few hundred yards. It was like a complete circle around the house.

The house seemed to look decrepit in the bright sun, like death washed over.

I couldn't seem to put my finger on it. But there was something very odd there. It must be because the house had been empty for more than a hundred years.

The sound of my cell phone ringing brought me back from my musing. It was my Mom calling.

Shit, did Bella quit? No, that's not possible; I hadn't gotten that kind of impression from her last night.

"Hi, Ma."

"_How is my baby? Did you reach the Masen house, safely? Did you like it? Why didn't you call me, Edward?"_ She went on and on.

My mother, always the worrier, I should have called her last night but forgot –well, for obvious reasons.

"I'm fine, Mom, and yes, I reached here safely. I didn't call you because I was really tired and fell asleep." I lied.

"_Oh! Of course dear, how silly of me. You must not even have had a chance to tour the house. I had heard from mother that it's quite big. The pictures I have seen are quite old."_

"Yes, it is quite huge for a single person, I have only had a chance of seeing the first floor and my room, its good, mother. The bathroom seems newly furnished."

"_Oh yes, your grandmother had it furnished before she passed, dear. She had expressed a desire for staying there and had started preparing to move when she fell ill."_

"I didn't know she wanted to move here."I said.

"_Yes, even I was a little shocked when she had __suggested it. When asked, she told me she wanted to have some quiet and peace for some time. I wish she could have gotten that." _She said with a sigh.

"_Anyway, Edward darling, tell me about the housekeeper. Is she pretty? I had a brief conversation with her through email, she seems charming. I didn't know the last caretaker had passed away…"_

"What? Mom, why didn't you inform me of all this, _before_ I got here?" I was really irritated with her right now. It seems, I'm more clueless than, I thought.

"_Oh, don't you raise your voice to me young man! I would have told you all of this if you had come home. But you didn't want to come here. You went there directly from L.A. I really wanted to see my son…"_ She started sniffing, making me feel guilty. I sighed; I guess I was at fault. But I couldn't go home. Not yet.

"I'm sorry, Ma, it's just that there's a lot going on in my life right now and I really wanted a break…, I'm sorry, really."

"_It's okay."_

"So, tell me what you know."

"_Just this–when I emailed Renee Swan about your arrival, it was an Isabella Swan, that responded. When your grandma was alive it was Renee who was taking care of that house. I don't know much about its history. I was never interested; you know this, that's why mother left it with you."_

"Hm… so you don't know about the vow then?"

"_Vow? What vow?"_

"Nothing Ma, I'll deal with it. I'm still trying to convince Bella to take a salary for her work." I said sighing, _if she showed up that is_ I added mentally.

"_Oh yes! You do that. I really cannot understand this stupid tradition but mother always stayed quiet on that topic whenever I asked her about it."_ I heard another voice in the background.

"_Your father is calling out for me dear, unless you want to speak to him?"_

Not going to happen.

"No, Ma. It's alright, you go on. I'll talk to you later."

"_Alright dear,_" she said sighing. "_Take care of yourself and keep in touch. I Love you."_

"Love you, too."

So, Bella's mother was dead. Another in the list of questions I need to ask her, I thought putting my phone back in my pocket. Just then I saw something move in my periphery. Looking around I saw something move again, but not in my direct vision. Looking again I found nothing. It must have been dried leaves. I thought, dismissing it.

But then, I heard a noise coming from above. Lifting my head, I saw someone staring back at me from one of the windows on the top floor of the house, but in the next second there was no one there. Looking closer I found nothing there, but a ray of light reflecting back from the sun.

_Must be a reflection from the light _I thought shaking my head. Then I remembered again, _Bella!_

* * *

The forest was dense here but I found a small pathway that went on for about half a mile when I saw a cottage looming into sight.

According to the little knowledge that I had from grandma, the Swans lived here. This was after they were given shelter on the land and had stayed here since then, taking care of the Masen house. So, I 'am assumed Bella lived here.

I wasn't entirely sure if she did. But from the way she spoke about the being obligated to the Masens, she might _still_ be living here.

At least I really, really hoped so.

The cottage stood in the middle of a clearing. It looked big enough to accommodate a small family. The land surrounding it was neat and clean. The trees were kept to a minimum here. I could see a few different flowers around the corner to the cottage. I felt relief; this proved that she did live here.

Shuffling on the small cobbled step stones of different sizes I reached across the porch and knocked on the door.

No one answered. I knocked again.

_Knock; knock…, "_Bella?"_ Knock, knock._

"Bella, are you home? Please open the door. Bella please, we need to talk."

Still no answer.

The windows in the front were closed shut. I went around the corner to look. Most of the windows were closed but one next to the back door was half open. Opening it fully, I looked inside. It was completely dark, so called again.

"Bella?" There was still no response.

I pulled myself up onto the window sill and into the house. From what little light that was coming through the window I could tell I was in the kitchen. There seemed to be a lot of pots on the table and different herbs placed on the counter and some bottles—wine bottles, I could tell from the red color but there were no labels.

She must have been cooking.

But where was she, I wondered ."Bella?"

_It looks like she's not here. _I thought, moving to the living room.

If she wasn't home, I shouldn't be trespassing like this. I turned back to move back the way I came but something caught my eye from the corner. Moving towards the mantle I looked at the photo frame hanging above the fireplace.

_It couldn't be… how was it possible? Maybe Bella looked too much like her grandmother or something._

There in the black and white photo was Bella or more specifically, a Bella look alike, looking just as beautiful as she did yesterday. The only difference being that here, she was in an old fashioned gown with hair pulled into a bun standing with what seem to be two other women– the one next to Bella, on the right was a woman who had features just like Bella, but a little older. If she would have been alive, I would have taken her for Bella's mother. The one next to her looked slightly older and taller than Bella, with light hair and prominent features.

These must be her ancestors. With a sigh, I reluctantly went back to the window and left the cottage. I prayed that she was just out of town and would be back soon.

Back at the house, I decided to explore the place instead of wallowing in despair. I had seen most of the first floor except the office, so I started there. It was a little dusty as Bella has said, but not unclean. There was a lot of family history here in the form of pictures and portraits. There were some old letters and journals in the cabinets and the desk held some old newspapers which dated back to the eighteen hundreds. It was really weird, finding stuff which was about one and a half centuries old. I found the portraits interesting though, there were about three of them and just one of them held a man's painting– my great-great-great-grandfather I think, others were women.

One of them looked a lot like my grandma and mom due to the features and those striking eyes. These paintings were remarkable. I was gazing at the photos when I was startled by a sudden burst of wind which made the windows bang against the panes hard enough for the glass to break and shatter to the floor.

"Shit!" I cursed and went to inspect, carefully. Walking gingerly I tried to close the windows, but they wouldn't budge. I pulled hard but it looked like it was stuck tight. After trying again, I realized there wasn't anything for it to get stuck on– it just wouldn't move!

What the hell was going on here?

I tried again but something pushed me hard. It felt like a huge burst of wind, and I was thrown across the floor by the force. I landed right next to the desk and the old newspapers fell onto my lap. That's when I saw it, a yellowed paper cut out–

_**THE WRATH OF 'THE DARK WIDOW' STRIKES THE TOWN OF FORKS**_

_The Darkness in the town of Forks seems to have returned in the form of 'The Dark Widow'. There have been reports of deaths and sudden disappearances across town. Each disappearance and death has been directly linked to the seemingly beautiful but deadly 'Widow', who has been seen on a few occasions across town by a few commuters, but none of them want to confirm this, for they fear for their lives._

_The sources say that the deaths and disappearances have only happened to those who spoke to the 'Widow' or were in contact with her. All the victims have been reported as last seen with 'The Widow' before they disappeared or their bodies were found in the Lake-Bridge._

_According to the rumors, 'The Widow' seems to be living in The M-_

The paper was damaged here and only another line could be seen at the bottom–

_-nothing was found at the place but the investigation is still in process._

I couldn't find when it was dated or what it was all about. I went through the rest of the papers to try and find if the article was torn from them, but I didn't find anything in connection to it.

So there had been killings by a suspect called 'The Widow'. I was really curious as to why they called her that. I highly doubted if it really was a widow, but some serial killer in the mask. Also, according to the article, this seemed to have been happened before.

_The Darkness in the town of Forks seems to have returned_. Returned, it said.

Anyway, shaking my head I realized I was obsessing over something that happened two centuries ago and threw the pile of old newspapers back on the desk. That's when my stomach grumbled and I realized it was almost after two in the noon and went towards the kitchen to find something to eat, the broken glass already forgotten.

* * *

It was dark and I sat in front of the fireplace, a glass of wine in hand. I still didn't know where Bella was.

_God, what have I done?_

I hadn't heard from her, I didn't even know if she had my number. Even if she did, it was really no use –you rarely got a signal in this part of the town.

Staring into the flames, I realized I was visualizing last night. God, it had felt so amazing. A deep connection which I had never found until her. It wasn't just the physical–she was so easy to talk to, smart, funny and exceedingly beautiful.

Her touch had ignited something deep inside me, and with a sudden realization I found that I wanted to see her again, _feel_ her again. I wanted to touch her again.

But then I remembered this morning when I had found myself alone in bed and realized that it was not possible. Bella felt regretful. There was no other explanation for her sudden disappearance. She didn't even leave a goddamn note!

The sound of the front door opening startled me from my musing.

"Bella." I sighed in relief.

I got up from my seat and moved towards the door to the sitting room, though by then she was already approaching. I sighed again, when she came into view. She was dressed in black again–a skirt this time and a sweater that hugged her form perfectly.

"Hi." she said quietly.

I didn't know how to verbally respond. But my mind was a completely different thing.

_Why did you leave?_

_Where were you?_

_Do you regret what happened yesterday?_

_Why didn't you leave a note?_

_Do you want to quit?_

_Do you hate me?_

But I could only respond with a, "hey".

"Um… can we sit?" She asked.

"Sure." I replied motioning her towards the couch next to the fireplace.

I went and sat down next to her, leaving a foot of space between us. I didn't like it, but figured it was necessary. We were quiet for some time. I really didn't know what to say to her and not sound like an ass.

Taking a deep breath she started, "I owe you an apology. I …"

Before she could continue I said, "Look Bella, its fine. You don't need to apologize for anything. It was the heat of the moment and I understand it wasn't appropriate but it still happened and _you_ don't have to be sorry for it. I don't regret anything and neither should you. And if you want to quit, I would understand."

She just stared at me and didn't say anything for a long time. It was really making me uncomfortable. Squirming in my seat, I asked "Would you like some wine?"

She blinked a few times and replied quietly "Um…y-yes please."

Nodding my head, I went to retrieve the bottle of red wine I had left on the mantle and filled two glasses with it and went to sit by her.

I concentrated on sipping my wine instead to looking at her. I knew she was looking at me; I could feel her gaze on me.

"Edward… Edward, please look at me."

When I turned back to her, she took the glass from my hand and placed it on the table with hers and took both my hands, turning me towards her completely.

"I don't regret anything." She said looking into my eyes.

"You don't?" I asked weakly. She shook her head with a quiet "No."

"Then why did you leave?"

Looking down at our joined hands, she replied quietly "Because I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of this."Staring into my eyes, she moved towards me and kissed me, sweetly at first then a little forcefully. Moving my hands to her back I held her tightly to me and kissed her back with the same fervor.

"Of this intensity, this…this longing that I feel when I'm with you." She said breathlessly.

"You feel it too?" I asked her and when she nodded, I kissed her again and when she moaned I broke the kiss, I needed to ask her this before anything else happened.

"Are you really okay with this?"

"Yes."

"No regrets?"

"None. I just wanted to think about this for a while. I'm so sorry I just left you like that. I was confused and a little terrified."

"But now?" I ask her.

"Now, I'm sure." She cupped my face in her hands and said "I want you, Edward."

"I want you, too." I smiled and then she smirks and chuckled a little and said,

"Want to continue this upstairs?"

"I don't know, this couch seems a lot comfortable to me." I said, pulling her to me.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah" I replied kissing her neck and sucked the delicate skin into my mouth bringing out a deep moan from her.

"Edward…Please." she said breathlessly.

"Please what?" I asked, moving my lips down towards her throat, opening the top buttons on her blouse.

"Please…ahh…tou-touch-h..me."

"With pleasure." I said, and touch her, I did – with my hands, my lips, my tongue, my fingers, everywhere, until she screamed my name.

* * *

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Sweetheart, tell me about the Blood Vow thing. You mentioned when I first arrived here."

It had been three days since I had arrived in Forks and the last two days had been blissfully spent with Bella. We spent most of the time in bed, making love or lounging in front of the fire place, only taking breaks to eat. I loved Bella in bed, she was amazing and I was becoming addicted. Very, very addicted.

We were currently sitting before the fireplace in the sitting room with a glass of red wine in our hands –Bella's favorite, I had learned. She was getting comfortable in my lap and I had my arm around her.

"Oh, yes, I didn't get to finish that story. Someone kept me distracted the whole night." She replied slyly.

"Smart ass." I said, tickling her. She laughed.

"So, tell me."

Turning towards me, she starts her story. "According to my grandmother's journal and the stories my mother told me, my great-great-great-grandmother, her sister Rosalie and their mother were trying to escape the town due to the conflicts happening across the land. They were tired and injured, especially Rosalie– she was barely conscious, so they took refuge in your cottage once they reached the forests."

She stared ahead as if she was trying to picture it, even I found myself trying to imagine the scenario.

"Rosalie was weak and hurt but breathing, both her sister and her mother were very concerned and trying their hardest to nurse her back to health. It was after midnight and Rose cried for water. Even though she was injured, her sister went to look for some water. She found a lake and was about to fetch water when she was caught by the valet. She was so desperate that she didn't even hear him coming. The valet was rude and didn't let her near the lake, instead dragged her towards the Masen House."

"William Masen was a very powerful man." I realized she was talking about my Great-great-great-grandfather, but I didn't want to interrupt her story.

"Family and prestige was everything to him." It was a little creepy to know that she knew more about my family then I knew myself.

"He was angry when he found out about us, naturally. We were on his land and he was renowned and respected among the society and it would portray him badly if he gave shelter to enemies." She talked again as if she was there.

"My Great-great-great-grandmother begged him let them stay, at least as long as it took Rosalie to recover."

"What was her name?" I asked.

"Pardon?"

"Your Great-great-great-grandmother."

She seemed to hesitate a little before replying. "Marie…um...Her name was Marie."

"William's wife, Elizabeth was more reluctant than her husband." She said, her mouth twisting into a bitter frown.

"But when their sons, Emmett and ...um… Anthony, after seeing the condition of the three women convinced their parents to let them stay on your land."

"William agreed under certain conditions but Elizabeth wanted a binding."

"'The Blood Vow', you called it?"

"Yes. The very same one." She said darkly.

"A ritual was performed. The terms of the binding were stated and promises were made while exchanging blood, a drop for every promise."

"How did they exchange the blood? Do you mean they _drank_ each other's _blood_?" I asked horrified.

"Um…maybe? It wasn't elaborated in the journal." She said rather flippantly, like she wanted to change the topic.

"Um, anyway, the terms were pretty simple –my family had to keep to themselves if they were to live here, not going into town where anyone could see them. In exchange my family promised to take care of the land and the Masen house."

"Therefore as the years passed by, my family stayed on the land taking care of the house and its grounds and as much as it was done in gratefulness, it was also done due to the promise made during the vow." She concluded.

"So, what will happen if this 'Vow' is broken?"

"The person who breaks it will have to face the consequences."

"What kind of consequences?"

"Grave consequences, Edward that is all I know." She said without looking at me, which made me realize that she was keeping something from me.

"But Bella, even after hearing all of this, I still think the whole ritual, Vow or the binding nonsense seems ridiculous to me."

"It's not nonsense, Edward."

"Oookay." I let out a breath before continuing, "How about we compromise?"

"What kind of compromise?"

"How about you only help me when I need your assistance? For example: cooking, you know I suck at it." I say, smirking. "The rest, I'll handle on my own."

"Edward, have you seen the whole house? It's pretty big and don't forget the lawn, you won't be able to handle it on your own. Besides I'm used to it and you aren't."

"So you aren't going to let it go are you?" I sighed.

"Nope."

"Alright, but I'm still not giving up. I _will_ find a way to change your mind."

"Not going to happen."

* * *

It's been three weeks since arrived here. The town is small and quaint. It was pure luck that I found a job here. Anyone who knew I lived at 'The Masen house' shut their doors on me. I really didn't understand how everyone seemed to think it was haunted. Yes, it was old, a little creepy-looking and had been vacant for a long time okay, so maybe they had their reasons. But those weren't the reasons for not giving me a job.

I was walking back from the town's supermarket (which was more like a big store with all kinds of necessary items available) where I had landed the job of a sales associate, only because the owner of the store was new in town and had settled here a year ago with his wife. Jasper and Alice completely dismissed the haunted notions and rumors. They were pretty easy-going people who liked good music and good food. We had become quick friends. I wanted them to meet Bella, but she had been unavailable every time an opportunity came up. She seemed to be gone most of the time during the day. When asked, she said she worked out of town as a vet, until then I had no idea she had a job that paid. So, we were both busy most of the time during the day but we were always together at night. We seemed to be following a routine– wake up in the morning, go to work, come back in the evening, have dinner and go to sleep in each other's arms.

I thought I could get used to it.

I was late today and there was a rush order I had to attend to. The sun had already set. I took the same route I had taken from the first day I had arrived here. The road near the bridge was still rough and muddy. A sudden lightning and thunder rumbled in the sky, alerting me to heavy rain any second. I walked quickly to avoid getting drenched. The bridge loomed into sight. It was hard to find the way ahead as a thick and heavy fog hung over the entire area. Rain started to fall quick and heavy. I was drenched within seconds of reaching the bridge.

"Edward…" Someone called. I turned my head sharply to see. There was nothing but a thick wall of fog all around me. Shaking my head, I took a step forward.

_No, I couldn't have heard a voice; it was the rain, surely._

"Edward…" It sound clear at first, but was soon become distant.

A faint echo of laughter and a rustling of something, I wasn't sure.

I turned around trying to find the source, my breathing shallow.

I frowned and tried to listen again. "Who's there?"

"….Edward…." Someone whispered again, this time the sound was nearly close to my ear. It sent a shudder through my body. A feeling crept from the hollow of my stomach sweeping upwards and onwards spreading throughout my skin, making goose-bumps appear in their wake.

"Wh-o...Who's ther-er?" I stammered out weakly.

The rain was a deluge now. I tried to quicken my pace, glancing sharply to my right and left but afraid to look behind for the fear of finding something unexplainable.

I was almost to the middle of the bridge when I saw a movement in the water. There was a ripple, slight but slowly gaining momentum, swirling like a whirlpool when suddenly a white shadow started to appear from within.

Startled and scared out my wits, I stumbled backwards. The figure started to move forward, _towards me!_

Rising over me, the vision was so terrifying I slipped and fell backwards.

Hair trailing down sodden shoulders, a long, torn, luminous gown stained from the slime from the lake, much of that material was hanging in long tatters around the figure. Features so dark I couldn't make out anything.

The figure dragged itself from the lake, above the railings–it emerged and loomed over me and reached out its arms, slick, thin completely pale, weeds draped like snakes.

A shriek I didn't know was coming from me escaped my lips. I shuffled away in abhorrence when a sound left from the figure's rotten lips– the scratchy, deep intonation might have been a name–

"_...Edwaaaardd…."_

"_..Run…away…. while ..you ..still cannnn….." _To my complete shock this voice came from behind me, turning around I found a similar figure looming above.

"…_Get…away from…Foooorrrksss…"_ Another one hissed.

To my utter astonishment and disbelief, I saw several dark figures looming around me, some laughing, some growling, some screeching incoherently and several trying to reach me and repeating –

"…_Runnn…away….from the ...Black Witch….Rrruuunnnn…."_

"…_.Rrrruuunnnn…." _They all seemed to screech at once.

In total banishment of thought caused by shock and the need to move away, I got to my feet, barely missing hitting the railing and falling into the lake. I ran from the writhing figures like a mad man, driven in desperation to escape from the clutches of death. Crazed shrieks escaped from my mouth as I came out of the fog as if I had just awoken from a terrifying nightmare.

The rain was still falling heavily accompanied by lightning; it helped me see my path ahead. Without turning back I ran towards the house.

Never before had I felt a relief as complete as I felt as the house came into view. I slipped on the damp grass of the front lawn in my haste and pain shot up my ankle towards my back. Picking myself up and stumbling across the clearing towards shelter, I made myself push towards my destination.

I took in a deep lungful of the drenched air, my shoulders heaving, and hair matted to my skull, I made my way up the stairs. Rain pounded against the surface of the house like a drummer would on his instrument.

At last I was inside. Closing the door shut behind me from whomever – _whatever_ that was in the lake. Leaning against it I allowed myself a few moments to recover my breath and listened for pursuers while I did so. But everything seemed to be quiet now. Too quiet I thought.

Limping awkwardly towards the spacious living room, I fell onto the sofa; my body shivering from adrenalin and it's after effects. My teeth were chattering and I could barely move my limbs to remove the damp clothes. Still, I somehow managed to peel off my shirt and drag myself towards the fireplace to get warm –Bella must have lit it, which meant she was here.

"Be-l-l-a" I tried to call out, my voice shook; I could barely hear my own whisper.

Taking a deep breath I tried again, "Bel-la?"

There was no response and with a sinking feeling I remembered she was not going to be home tonight, she had said she was going to stay at the cottage. Taking a deep breath I tried to shift my leg in a more comfortable position and laid back.

Startled by a noise, I woke up and couldn't tell how long I had been asleep. But the slumber had given me some much needed strength. Slowly I made myself get up from the floor and move towards the kitchen when I realized was starving.

I made myself a sandwich and tried to reflect upon what I had seen and heard.

_Was any of it even real?_

Looking down at myself, in my now dried but dirty pants, I couldn't deny what occurred last night. I tried thinking rationally but my mind kept rejecting everything.

After a much needed bath and some clean clothes, I drifted towards the sitting room, but as I moved through the hall I came to a complete stop in front of the office.

Making my way inside I went straight towards the broken window and stared outside. It was the same window that had broken the other day. Then with sudden clarity I remembered what had happen that day had also been weird. The way the window had banged and got stuck on nothing, like someone was holding it tight, and the way I had been sent flying towards the table. I went towards the desk and retrieved the torn article. I read it again, trying to find a connection.

'_The Dark Widow' The_ article said.

'_Black Witch' _I remembered from last night.

Was there a connection? Were they one and the same?

And then I came across the line _– bodies were found in the Lake-Bridge._

Lake-Bridge. It was the same Bridge from last night. According to the article the bodies were dumped in Lake-Bridge. So, did that mean the figures, those creeping shadows might have been ghosts of the victims? I shuddered remembering.

It made sense in a weird twisted way. Maybe the townsfolk _were _right, this place _was_ haunted, but they were wrong about the house. It was the lake that was haunted not the Masen house. People must have assumed it to be haunted as the lake was close to the house.

Yes, that has to be the reason. But then my eyes drifted towards the window and its broken glass and my mind scrambled to make sense of everything that had happen from the movement I came to Forks.

Nothing made sense. Was the house really haunted?!

The front door slamming brought me back to reality.

* * *

"Hey, you alright?" Bella asked patting my shoulder.

Shaking my head I tried to shake away the dark thoughts and replied with a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." I pulled her to sit on my lap.

I had not been able to sleep peacefully the past week after the incident had occurred. I was having nightmares almost every night. I was scared to close my eyes in the fear that I would see the prowling figures trying to get me. How much ever I tried to get away; they kept coming for me –shouting at me to run.

"No, you're not fine. Edward, I'm concerned, you have been behaving differently, and you are not eating or sleeping properly. What's on your mind? What is troubling you? "

When I didn't answer she asked "Is it the Music Album?"

I scoffed, I had completely forgotten about that.

"Hardly." I replied dryly.

"Then what is it? Talk to me."

I don't know why, but didn't want to drag Bella into this mess. I was not scared that she wouldn't believe me; it was just that I couldn't believe it myself. I didn't want to confirm what I was experiencing was in fact happening. I was still coming to terms with the fact that I had seen ghosts of murdered victims and I was dealing with suspicions that my house might also be haunted. The weird noises I had heard and stuff I had encountered when I was alone was something I just couldn't explain–

The thundering of footsteps in the hall when I was moving some furniture in the third floor room or the creaking of the second floor stairs as if someone was shadowing my footsteps or the sudden coldness I would feel when I came to the second floor landing or the third floor bathroom.

The bathroom incident was the scariest. I had gone to inspect the third floor rooms and its components when I heard a weeping noise coming from the bathroom. I went to inspect and the door banged itself shut behind me. The room had gone completely cold, making me shiver. Then the writing on the mirror, I had no meaning for.

_Don't repeat your mistake twice, son._

I had spent almost an hour trying to find a way to get out.

Later I found out that the door had been struck in the jagged corner of the wood. But I still couldn't explain how it had closed itself or how those words had formed themselves on the mirror.

"It's just the weather that has me down, sweetheart." I tried to reassure her with a kiss.

"You sure it's just the weather and nothing else?"

"Absolutely. And you're sure you still can't make it to the Whitlock's?"

Alice and Jasper had invited us to their farmhouse for the weekend and I had accepted without a second thought wanting to get away from this dreary place. I also wanted Bella to come with me, away from all the shit that was happening around here. But she had other commitments.

"You know I would, if I could, don't you?" She said in a soft voice and caressed my cheek and kissed me just under the chin.

"Why does it have to be you? Aren't there other doctors to handle it? I mean, _come on_, who works on a _weekend_?"

"I can't leave the poor dog suffering, Edward. Besides I had already signed up for it before the invite. I'm really sorry, but I can't cancel it."

"I just wanted to spend the weekend with you." I said forlornly, kissing her throat.

It wasn't just about the weekend; I wanted her safe–with me. I wanted her as far away from the house as possible. But then I realized that she had lived here almost her whole life. Hadn't she encountered anything supernatural? Or her mother? Did all this weird stuff just happen around me?

I was really glad she wasn't experiencing it.

"I know baby, me too. I promise we'll spend the next weekend together."

"Okay, so when are you leaving?"

"At one, you?"

"In an hour."

* * *

"I'm really sorry man; I can't believe that she actually tried to jump of the roof."

"Oh, you don't know the dramatics that woman plays, Edward. I still can't believe she actually gave birth to Ali."

"So, how is she now? Did you hear anything more from Alice?"

"Ya, she says it's absolutely fine. She just wanted Alice there, thus the jumping of the roof bullshit. Last time Alice refused to see her, she tried taking sleeping pills. That woman is seriously nuts! But she is her mother, so I can't really say anything. And I'm really sorry about the weekend man. I know you were really looking forward to it."

"It's cool man, really. This way I can get back to Bella, and have some quality time with her."

"It's too bad we didn't get to meet her, maybe next time."

"Sure."

We were sitting at the dinner where we had originally planned to meet to start of the weekend together, but Alice's mother had other plans. Hence, we had to cancel ours.

"So, when are you leaving to meet Alice?"

"Honestly, I wish we could pursue our original plan and go to the farmhouse. I don't care if it's just the two of us but Alice will have my balls if I don't go to see the She-Devil." we laughed loudly.

After paying for our meal we took opposite routs to get to our destinations, him–towards Alice and me, towards Masen house. It was almost twilight now so I knew Bella won't be home for another two hours. I had asked her to just stay at the cottage instead of the house for her safety. She didn't know my plans had been canceled and I wanted to take advantage of that fact and surprise her.

I hurried home taking a different and longer route that didn't involve crossing any lake.

Upon entering the house, I made my way up the stairs straight to my bedroom without stopping. After depositing my duffel bag on the bed, I went to the bathroom to take a shower. After the shower, I spent some time selecting what to wear for the evening. I wanted to make it special for Bella. I wanted to recreate our first date–a candle-light dinner and a movie with some popcorn and wine.

I went to the kitchen to prepare some spaghetti topped with homemade meat balls. Bella didn't know this, but I had learnt a thing or two about cooking in L.A. _This was definitely going to surprise her__. _I thought with glee.

That's when I smelled it– incense. It was coming strongly from the living room. I went to inspect it. It was coming from the door in the corner that led to the basement. It wasn't just the smell now; I could see some smoke as well.

_Was the basement on fire?_ But it didn't smell like fire.

I ran towards it, pulling it open to look inside. There was a thin layer of smoke and the smell of incense was heavy. Startled, I ran down the stairs. The scene before me made me stop in my tracks and look incredulously in shock.

There, before me was Bella. But not the Bella I had come to know and love but a Bella I knew nothing about. She was sitting in the middle of what appeared to be a star surrounded by a circle with black candles on each corner burning with unreal brightness. There were some kind of herbs burning in a bowl and a dagger sat beside it that was straining red.

There was also someone else beside her but she was facing away from me, _and she seemed to be bound!_

I made myself move and stood in front of Bella. She had her eyes closed and was chanting something fast. She was in black, again. But she was always in black. I had never given much thought about it before this. I had thought it was one of her quirks, never having connected it to a whole different scenario involving witchcraft. She had those black rings on and some black beads hung from her neck.

The person she had bound was gagged and was thrashing weakly, barely conscious, trying to escape but Bella had her in a tight grip with her wrist around her.

I couldn't recognize the woman before me, was she the same person I had made love to just this morning? I couldn't believe it.

I couldn't stand it anymore and shouted "Bella! What is all this? What the hell are you doing? Let the girl go."

She opened her eyes but didn't leave the girl. She looked up towards me and smiled a sinister smile. The evilness of it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Edward darling, you're here. Though, I hadn't imagined you finding about me this way, but I think it's perfect." She grinned. "I have been waiting for a long time for this. Come here my love, and let's finish what started three centuries ago." Lifting her free arm she gestured for me to join her. Her face looked devastatingly beautiful and evil at the same time. The face of a dark angel.

"What the hell are you talking about? And let the girl go, Bella. You're hurting her."

"She's getting what she deserves!" she roared in a terrifying voice.

"What do you mean? No one deserves to be bound and gagged like that."

"She had the nerve to talk about you in an ill manner in _front of me_! How _dare _she?" She screeched pulling the girl's hair out. "Your MINE_._ You have always been _mine_."

"Alright, Bella." I tried to talk in a soothing manner, putting my hands in front of me." I am yours, you know that. Just let the girl go."

"No."

"Bella, let the girl go, dammit!" I moved into the circle and tried to pull the girl from Bella's clutches but God, I couldn't move even an inch of her. I had no idea Bella was that strong. So, I tried to pull Bella's hand instead to loosen her grip, but before I could even reach her I was thrown away.

"Stop it, Edward. You DON'T want to do that." She was breathing hard and her eyes were shining with a dark glint in anger.

And that's when I realized I couldn't push her, not like this or Bella would do something drastic. I was no stranger to supernatural at this point.

"They spoke to you didn't they?" she said in a voice that was almost a purr.

"What are you talking about?"

She laughed, a screeching shivers down your spine laugh, not the warm tingling laugh she had when I had met her.

"You think I don't know why you have been down and _terrified_ lately? You think I don't know about your parents– _your mother _trying to reach you in the house? Or about those ghouls from the lake?" she shouted at me.

I was speechless. I could only blink in astonishment.

"You knew? And you still didn't say anything?"

"Me? I was waiting for you to speak up. The Edward I knew would _never _keep anything from his wife."

"Wife?" I ask weakly.

"Yes love, wife–_your wife_. I've been your wife for the past three centuries now."

"I–I don't understand…what are you trying to say?"

"I think you know_ exactly _what I'm trying to say, darling."

I was still speechless.

"Oh, come on Edward, you can't be so dumb. I know you saw my picture at the cottage, I know you saw the article in the office and I also know your mother tried to contact you in the bathroom."

"My…my mother–sh-she's back in Seattle and…your picture? I–I thought it was your grandmother or something."

She laughed an insanely loud laugh.

"Yes, mother–_your mother–Elizabeth Masen._ Your mother when you were alive three centuries ago. And that picture, it was me, it's always been _me_!"

I could not believe what I was hearing. I could not wrap my head around it.

"You–I– you…" I stammered. I didn't know what to say.

"Yes, Me! I have been waiting for you for three hundred years! Because you had _promised _– promised, that you would return!"

"Bu- but I–when…"

"Me, my mother Renee and my sister Rosalie, we were witches–good witches. But the people of our town shunned us and threatened to kill us by burning us at stake if we didn't leave. We had no other choice but to flee the land and fate brought us to Forks and in particular, to Masen Land."

Witches…wow.

But how was she still alive? And what does she mean by 'I promised to return'? How was I alive back then when I was standing here right now? Is this even real or am I having another of those nightmares?

"Rose was hurt after performing heavy magic, trying to save us. She had used almost all her power to perform that charm. We had been running for about three days straight without any stops. We were tired, weak with hunger and thirst and not mention injured and desperately in need of shelter."

So she was telling the real version of the story now.

"Your valet found us as I had told you before. By the way, it was the very same lake where you saw those spirits. I always held a grudge against that lake after that night. Hence, I destroyed it! "

She laughed a terrifyingly sick laugh.

"Your father was an ass to me." She said with a sneer.

"I tried begging him, pleaded with him to let us stay–to help us, but he wouldn't budge. But your mother, being a witch herself understood. But she would never go against her husband."

My mother was a witch?

Then she looked up to meet my eyes and said softly."That's when you stepped in." she said with a smile, looking at me with such love in her eyes that I found I could see the glimpse of the Bella I knew and loved.

"Your parents could never say no to you or your brother, Emmett. Hence, they agreed reluctantly but on the condition that a binding must be performed. Your mother herself performed the binding between both our families. She would only help Rose, if we gave up all our power and bonded it to her and your family."

"You had protested vehemently but you mother wouldn't budge. We had to save Rose, and I loved my sister with all my heart. Hence, my mother and I agreed to the binding."

I could not believe my old parents were such heartless people, I could see myself protesting–am I actually believing this?

"The binding occurred using our blood and a ritual was performed between all of us–binding us together forever. But your mother didn't know this at that time. If she had known the consequences of what she was doing, she would never have agreed to it in the first place."

"After the ceremony was over Rosalie recovered fast but we could not perform our magic unless we were ready to bare the consequences. It was only a few months later that Rose and your brother fell in love with each other. Your mother was furious and so was your father, they did not accept their relationship.

We were both in love too, and had already married in secret having seen how Rose and Emmett had been made to separate from each other." She said furiously.

"Rose could not do anything to get to Emmett unless she got her magic back. She was ready to get to him at all costs. Hence, she came to us. You didn't know where your brother was kept hidden either and you loved your brother too, so we agreed to join all our powers to reunite Rose and Emmett–that's when it all backfired. Everything was destroyed in that ritual. All the people who had exchanged blood during the binding were affected. Each of us was getting closer to death as the minutes passed by. First my mother, then your parents, Rose and Emmett." She took a deep shuddering breath reliving the horrific experience.

"It was going to be me next, as the sequence of death was happening in the same sequence we had exchanged our blood. You could not see me die, nor I you. Hence, we performed one last ritual." She said in an emotional voice.

"We were already bonded by blood and love. Only one thing was left, we bounded our souls in that ritual. It was the most difficult ceremony I had ever performed because I knew I would lose you. But you convinced me and promised me that you would come back and you did." She smiled looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"I had to drink your blood to live and you mine to come back to me. As they say to gain something you have to lose something in return. Hence, I have been drinking blood to survive, to live and wait for you to come to me."

"Maryanne, your sister was the only one not bonded in the ritual as she was already married and away in another city. That's how your family continued to live and you came to be. I don't think it was just a coincidence that you were named Edward Anthony, again" she said with a crazy smile.

"And now we have to complete our ritual. By taking my blood you will come back to me, become the same Edward you were before. Come to me Edward, take my hand and pick up that knife so you can perform the ritual." She beckoned me to her.

My mind was a complete chaos. I moved towards her picking the knife but with a twist of my hand I pulled the girl away from her and pointed the knife in Bella's direction.

"Oh no, Edward, you did not." She said in furious voice. "I will not let you ruin this!" she yelled.

"Don't come close Bella, or I'll kill you."

She laughed.

"I don't need to come to you, Edward, darling. You'll come to me."

And just like that I was suddenly pulled towards her, the knife flew from my hand to hers and she started chanting –

_Air, Fire, Water, Earth, _

_Elements of astral birth, _

_I call you now; attend to me! _

_In the Circle, rightly cast, _

_Safe from curse or blast, _

_I call you now, attend to me!_

_Give back the love you took you took from me,_

_Bind me now as you did before._

She started to cut her hand, crimson blood started to flow down and filled the bowl she had in her palm.

_From cave and desert, sea and hill, _

_By wand, blade, and pentacle, _

_I call you now, attend to me! _

_Give my soul you took before,_

_This Is my will, so mote it be!_

My lips started to pry open on their own behalf. I tried hard to grind my teeth shut but it was no use. My hand and legs were useless by my side as I couldn't move them.

She lifted the bowl to my mouth. Bitter liquid flowed down my throat. The light from the candles burnt bright for a few seconds and then the ritual was complete. I realized I could move again.

Looking down at Bella I said, "You did it, love, I'm so proud of you." Smiling.

Jumping into my arms she said, "Oh Edward, I thought I lost you for a second there."

"Never." I kissed her deeply.

A sound of whimpering made me pull away and look down. The girl was trying to escape. I pulled her back by her legs.

"Ready to start an immortal life with me, husband of mine?" Bella asked kissing my throat.

"Gladly, wife of mine." I replied and pulled the girl towards me to sink my teeth into her throat.

**THE END**

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**Hosts Note:**

**Popular Voting from:October 1, 2013 - October 16, 2013, a poll will be placed on the Bio of the FFN Acct. **

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